Feeds:
Posts
Comments

I’m on the dancefloor/watching you kiss her/in the corner

April 29, 2010 by morningaftershow

Zone Music Director have an ultra violet light blasted into his mouth. Whiteness ensues.

Interpol is one of my favourite bands.   No getting around that fact.  Something surprising for me personally; I usually don’t “get” an Interpol record right away.  It sometimes takes a moment to percolate in my head.   I am only now, just getting into  “Our Love to Admire” and the record came out in what?  2007?  I think that is why I love Interpol, they’re a grower, not a show-er.

Interpol was supposed to have a record out in early 2010, but I dunno…. they got sidetracked?  But now they do have a brand new song for free download.

Trade an email address for a song: Interpol – “Lights”

The song is great.  Reminds me of Turn on the Bright Lights era Interpol. Its 5 minutes +, moody, jangly, epic and sexy.

“The new record falls back towards the first. In trying to move forward, there was an unspoken realization that you can’t let go of your sonic-defining tag. There was an effort in Daniel [Kessler]’s guitar tone; he rediscovered it playing in his loft space for a year without anybody. The quality of that tone, played in a big room, is just beautiful. It creates an atmosphere … That big wash of reverb? It’s back.” – Interpol drummer Sam Forgarino on the sonic tag of the upcoming record.

***

Speaking of slow grows and free downloads… I am already thinking about my next mix and I think it’ll be built around Pallers and their song “The Kiss.”

Download: Pallers – “The Kiss”

Seriously, download this song and then try to ‘splain to me why you don’t immediately want to make out.

***

I better get ready to go on the radio… but before I do, I am wondering about BBQ Smokers.  I kinda want to make one.  I found some plans online and I like this one.  The Big Baby.

Cassie has volunteered to help construct but we’ll need a place to build it… then i thought, others might want in, so I might make a Facebook group so we can get together, decide the plan of attack, then get building.

Big Baby is a sculpture in basic black, a life-style statement, a conversation piece, a badge of honor, and a joy forever. And on a hot summer day, even when you’re not cooking anything, it still smells like barbecue.

Amazing.

Go with yourself.

Posted in food, music | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments »

MIX: two types

April 28, 2010 by morningaftershow

As I’ve blogged about before I have had a minor obsession with the desert of the American southwest, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, and what it might have been like growing up in a suburb of Phoenix. Here is the soundtrack to those thoughts swirling around the grey matter of my brain.

My song selection feels on-point for the mood and story I want to tell save for the Ennio cut off the top which my be a challenge for some listeners, and breaks my golden rule of not staring off with a punch or a song more representative of the set. No worries… I needed this song to get me fired up on the mix.

The mix between Caribou and FM Belfast is rather tragic.  Sorry for that.  I have grappled with this list for a couple weeks and have scrapped a few attempts… I had to settle for allowing some mistakes or I’d never get it done.

The FM Belfast song is quirky… but I like it because it is all about the suburbs and being a teenager, which flows into College’s song so nicely.

“its so sexy… to be… living in America… baby, we’re living in America.”  Well done DOM.

The Crystal Castles song I added just this week after hearing it. I just like it, but it doesn’t really conjure any of the emotions or thoughts listed above. Just thought the sound fitted in.

Listen to: MIX two types

***

DJ Notes

Clint Eastwood :: Two Types Of People In This World 1 Ennio Morricone – Il Triello 2 John Talabot – Sunshine (Delorean Remix) 3 Delorean – Infinite Desert 4 Caribou – Sun 5 Fm Belfast – Underwear 6 College – Teenage Color 7 Dom – Living In America 8 Crystal Castles – Celestica 9 Health – Usa Boys. 10 Phoenix – Love Like A Sunset (Part 1) 11

***
Did you know it snows in the desert sometimes?  weird.

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Expo ’86

April 27, 2010 by morningaftershow

Add this album to my list of “looking forwards to…”  The new Wolf Parade album will be out in June (or maybe July from Sub Pop) and is named after one of my earliest memories growing up, Expo ’86.

Anyone in my age bracket or older that lived in British Columbia in 1986 likely has some fond memories of the World’s Fair that dominated Vancouver.  Every time you ride the Expo line of the Skytrain or take in a IMAX film at science world, you’re basking in the legacy.  I thought it was pretty neat when I read an interview with WP’s Dan Boeckner about why they chose Expo ’86 as the title for their new record:

Pitchfork: Do you have a title for the album yet?

DB: The title for the record, as far as we know now, is– unless we get sued for using it– Expo 86.

Expo 86 was a World’s Fair that happened in Vancouver in 1986. It’s been this thing we all talked about as a band. We all grew up in British Columbia, and we were all at Expo, which lasted about three or four days. It’s a weird little thought experiment– basically, we were all young children at the same big event. I remember Expo 86 was as big as the Olympics were this year in Vancouver. They completely reorganized part of the downtown core, and they built this giant geodesic dome called “Science World”. Now it looks completely, totally dated and a product of its time. They built monuments, built rides. It was something I don’t think we’re going to see in Canada ever again because World’s Fairs have fallen out of favor, at least for the Western World.

Pitchfork: Do you have any particular memories of going to Expo 86?

DB: I remember going to the German Pavilion, which was totally terrifying. Each country had a pavilion showing off their prime exports or a little bit of the culture, and the German Pavilion was this super austere, really cold Bauhaus-style minimalist building. It freaked me out as a child.

I remember the UFO HTO water park, Expo Ernie! and MFing Rainbow War.  I still have a an Expo ’86 t-shirt that is wearable… not that I wear it much, it’s been co-opted by Ms. Coral Crawford.

Fun fact: The above cover for the new Wolf Parade album features some greasy looking youngsters about to fuck some ship up… those kids are actual family members of Wolf Parade’s Dante DeCaro.  Wait an minute?  the same Dante that used to be in Victoria favourite sons Hot Hot Heat?  yes, the same one!

And one more degree of Kevin Bacon; Expo ’86 had a chief operating officer named Jim Pattison.  He now owns The Zone @ 91-3!  Believe that.

That’s it…  Go with yourself.

Me, Expo Ernie, and my brothers CJ and Matt: May 1986

Posted in history 101, music | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Its good to be back

April 26, 2010 by morningaftershow

Back from a whirlwind trip to Vancouver to see my buddy Bob and bring Maddy to see Grandma and Grandpa.

Watched some hockey(go Nucks!), ate a mondo Tuna taco on Lonsdale and rolled into the Zone to a few interesting developments.

one.  New music from Tokyo Police Club.  They have a new single on the radio called “Wait Up (Boots of Danger).” and I found a song on their website from the upcoming record Champ (June 8th) that is a free download if you give your email address to them.

Stream: “Wait Up (Boots of Danger”
Download: “Breakneck Speed“

two. Maybe because it is a Monday… this video hit the spot.  Warning, the new M.I.A. music video for “Born Free” is SAVAGE with extreme violence.

That said, a great film.

Watch: M.I.A. – “Born Free”

It has a style that reminds me of the film “Children of Men.”  It is telling the story of maybe a near future fascist America that has decided they won’t tolerate anymore of a certain type of person… and how they deal with their “problem” group of humans is well… we’ve seen it in histry before, and we’ll see it again.  Like I said, the video is not for the faint of heart.  Very graphic.

***
Interview with Tokyo Police Club is coming up and I’ll have a new mix on Mixcloud tonight or tomorrow.

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , | 6 Comments »

infinite desert

April 22, 2010 by morningaftershow

Me (and my fat head) and Makka Pakka watching the Canucks game.

Up early today.  I thought I was supposed to meet the fire inspector for my condo building, but I obviously got that date wrong.  No worries, I had a lot of out-standing emails to answer, and some tax stuff to organize.  Now it is just past 9 AM and i feel good.  Maybe I should wake up at 8AM every morning?

I have to go to my tax guy later after the morning Zone DJ meeting.  Ugh, not looking forward to it.  I’ve been flying around the blogosphere reading everyone’s tales of mega tax returns… and what tropical Island they’ll be spending it on and it makes me envious.  I’m the guy the guy that will need to be sending money to the government.  wah wah wah.

Its my own fault really, I am partly self employed and last year I DJ’d a fair amount outside of my 9-5 at The Zone.  So yeah, I’ll be sending a cheque to Ottawa.  Next year will be crazier (which is good?  It means I am working more… but I have no long term planning ability, so the money comes in, I spend it.).  I’ll need to do pre-emtive tax payments now I think, so it doesn’t stress me out next spring.  Ahhh, maybe Coral will get a tax return and we can… go on the ferry to Port Angeles or something?

***

Pitchfork.tv is a great invention. Its like how you wished Much Music still was.  But the beauty if 2010, it IS Much Music.  I can plug my laptop into my TV and watch all these great music video.  I can search for a fave, or let Pitchfork play their selected titles.  They also have the odd interview or feature piece.  Yesterday I watched a video on the Decline of the Indie Record Store.

I Need The Record

The person doing the documentary travels around to different indie record stores and documents their plight.  Its a good watch for the most part, he talks about the community that indie record stores apparently create and how important that is.  But the people he generally interviews are really gnarly alpha nerd 50 something fat men.  Hmmm, I don’t know if i want to be part of that community.

I felt bad for the shops and the decline in the culture, but the culture is not dead.  Obviously “most” people don’t have the same value on the music then some people feel they should have, but it doesn’t mean all record stores have gone the way of the dodo bird.  The only reason there were so many before is because people HAD to buy music, now they don’t.  Most people don’t care to hang out in a record store… we all have passions, maybe yours is the garden store, or the park or a hike or whatever.  maybe its steam train engines.  Fuck, I feel sorry for you, not too many steam engine shops open on Johnson Street anymore.

Collecting records is a nerdy thing, like collecting miniature civil war figurines or having a cat. A couple shops in Victoria, thats all we need.  And if they are going to stay, we need to actually shop at them from time-to-time.  Friends don’t let friends buy records off Amazon (or books either!).

Don’t even get me started on books! (great read if you have the time)

***

WTF?  Has Delorean created an album about the desert?  the Spanish electro-druggy-poppy-bright somethingorother band might have done just that.

Check out their record Subiza. I already have a couple from their first ep and the cut “Stay Close” but when I saw the track listing today, it was kismet, I had to have “Infinite Desert.”

I have already drafted my next set for Mixcloud “Two Kinds” (almost had it up last night but wasn’t happy so I scrapped it).  It was missing something, and that something is “Infinite Desert.”

OK, the time is now to head to work.  Go with yourself.

Posted in life or something like it, music | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Bobby first of all is an actor, Clint first of all is a star. Bobby suffers, Clint yawns.

April 20, 2010 by morningaftershow

If you look at the top of my wordpress blog, you’ll see on the header a picture of Clint Eastwood from the movie, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The movie is considered a (the best) spaghetti western (of all time).   A spaghetti western is a weird hic-up in history where during the 1960s, Italian and Spanish producers would make low budget movies based on themes that revolved around the American frontier west and Mexico

As of late I have been enjoying a fascination with all things desert, and this film played right into my obsession.  The last few nights, after DJing at the club or lounge, I’d come home at some weird hour and punch up The Good for a bit before falling asleep on the couch. (thank you Randy!)

A couple nights ago I finished my visual adventure and I was a little sad it was over.  I haven’t smoked pot in a few years now, but man, these past few nights had me hankering for a joint while I watched this crazy adventure for stolen Confederate gold.  The vistas and geography had me lusting for an adventure to New Mexico territory (but then I read the film was shot in Spain, so maybe I really want to go to Spain?).

The movie is amazing, if you have the chance to see it or download it or something, I say do it!  then we’ll get some horses and ride south and find a grave to dig up for gold.  Oh the times we’ll share!

The scene from the picture above happens at about 4:25 of the clip.  It is the final “Mexican standoff” in the film so yeah… SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t seen the film.

***

I remember I made a desert playlist way back in 2008 for Vancityrockgirl’s wedding that I brought on my iPod.  I am going to post this best of… for now, but I am so going to update tonight when I get home now that I found it (there are some better songs and some that i would cut given my 20/20 hindsight)!

somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert

01) QOTSA – “Better Living Through Chemistry”
02) QOTSA – “First It Giveth”
03) Constantines – “Trans Canada”
04) Fu Manchu – “Thinking Out Loud”
05) The Killers – “Sam’s Town”
06) The Hold Steady – “Chips Ahoy!”
07) Alkaline Trio – “Help Me”
08) Hermano – “My Boy”
09) Spoon – “Rhythm and Soul”
10) Teenage Head w/ Marky Ramone – “Let’s Shake”
11) Mondo Generator – “So High, So Low”
12) Corrosion of Conformity – “Redemption City”
13) Solace – “King Alcohol”
14) Eagles of Death Metal – “Miss Alissa”
15) Desert Sessions 9&10 – “I Wanna Make It Wit Chu”
16) Kyuss – “Thong Song”
17) The Sword – “Barael’s Sword”
18) Why? – “The Hollows”
19) Rehab – “Sitting at the Bar”
20) Hot Water Music – “Remedy”
21) QOTSA – “The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret”
22) The Section Quartet – “Such Great Heights”

That’s all I got for right now.  Go with yourself.

Posted in history 101, neat-O gang, playlist | Tagged , | 3 Comments »

MIX: Don’t wait for the needle to drop

April 19, 2010 by morningaftershow

Playing around with the Vestax VCI-300 controller for Serato Itch while I also low roast some ribs and experiment with an epic coleslaw.  I love a good slaw, but I absolutely hate bad slaw.  Really detest it.

Lots of pretty songs including the new one from Holy Fuck to lead off the set.

The set starts very atmospheric and then gradually builds to a more driving beat before finally returning to earth with Shady Bard. To be honest, I think I heard “Torch Song” on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy (kill me now). I had forgotten about this song until just the other night. I was trolling through my iTunes and it randomly popped up. What a pleasant surprise.

Click to Listen: Don’t wait for the needle to drop

***

DJ Notes

01) Holy Fuck – “Latin America” (MP3)
02) Dosh – “Don’t Wait For The Needle To Drop”
03) Charlotte Gainsbourg – “Time of the Assassins (Matthew Dear remix)” (MP3)
04) Tegan & Sara – “Alligator (Four Tet Remix)”
05) Memory Cassette – “Asleep at a Party”
06) Tobacco – “Hairy Candy”
07) WNYC Radio Lab :: This is your brain on Music
08) Classixx – “I’ll Get You”
09) The xx – “Crystallized”
10) Shady Bard – “Torch Song”

If you digging this set and want to hear some more mixes, don’t be shy… click away.

I love you but you’re terrible at…
Vanilla, Lavender, Comfort
One is not enough
Plants and records

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , , | 4 Comments »

What a time to pick a fight / the world is full of those tonight.

April 18, 2010 by morningaftershow

Vestax VCI-300 with Serato.

Friday night at Veneto, my sound started glitching out.  Very stressful thing to have happen to a DJ.  Saturday I took my Numark NS7 in to Long and McQuade for a check up, and while they cut her open to operate they lent me the Vestax VCI-300 Serato Itch controller.

When I was shopping for an Itch controller last winter, it was between the Numark and Vestax and I ended up with Numark, so it was neat to see what could have been….

The Vestax is cheaper… and L&M they’ll run you about $1,100 vs. north of $1,700 for the Numark.  The Numark is also huge in comparison.  I chose the Numark because it is closer in feel to record turntables and I like being able to “grab” my songs and fly around a track.  The Vestax to me feels more dainty.  But I love that it is so small and easy to carry around, set up, takes way less space and is just… well less.

I already think, when I have the Numark paid off, maybe I’ll get a Vestax too!  I’ll need some practise with the Vestax, because right now, I am awkward on it.  If the Numark is on the DL for an extended period of time I can get some practise in on the Vestax.

If I am going to be able to get a new mix up this week for Huckdoll, it’ll need to be on the Vestax!

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments »

My right eye and my left eye

April 16, 2010 by morningaftershow

I went to the eye doctor finally.  I have a bad eye.  Its my right, it doesn’t work worth shit.  The doctor said if something happened to my left eye, I’d be legally blind.  I have some condition… hmmm, what was it called again?  I better look this up.

Wiki go!

I think it is called Keratoconus.  My cornea is thinning and collapsing creating a cone rather than a nice, uh, eye shape.  This collapse refracts the light beams all weird and creates scaring and thus, I see fuzz outta my eye.

Since I’ve had this condition to some degree most my life, my brain has learned to listen only to my left eye and for the most part, my day-to-day is pretty clear seeing.

Lately my vision has felt bad however.  It has always bothered me when my eye(s) gets tired and my bad eye is forced into action but now it seems to get bad every night or when there is bad light (like in the studio at work).

The doc said I’ll need to go to a specialist who will likely spray my eye with some sort of fluid then “harden” the substance with a UV light.  This will stop my eye from deteriorating further.  It can not reverse the damage.  The doctor said, seeing as I can… see; this process will be good enough and I can live my life with sorta poor; but mostly good vision.

I could get a corrective contact lens that would push my eye back into place, but it is hugely uncomfortable and if I don’t want it, I don’t need it right now.

Worse case scenario, I can get a cornea transplant, but once again, the doctor said that it would be a big deal.  As long the left eye is happy carrying the load that option might not be for me.  He then encouraged me to protect that good eye.  That said, sign your donor card, maybe I could use your cornea if tragedy were to strike!

So anyways, that is what I did today.

Go with yourself.

Posted in life or something like it | Tagged , | 4 Comments »

Why We Fight

April 15, 2010 by morningaftershow

HMS Dreadnought (British Battleship, 1906) underway, circa 1906-07.

I had a “why we fight” moment last night reading Alan Cross’ website.

He posted an article about extremist groups and warlords in Somalia sending warning to the local radio stations: “stop playing music or we’ll kill you!”

CBC: Islamists force Somali stations to turn off music

Here is what i don’t get about this whole extreme Islam… why would anyone want to do it.  Lets say I’m an AK47 toting militia man.  I might some what understand that if I follow the larger man with the gnarly beard, glass eye and hook for a hand in his crazy pyramid scheme… as we oppress everything, I’ll get to be one of the chosen one(s).  But when he comes to me and says, Jeremynabad, I want you to go down the street and fire your machine gun into Desert 107, “The Rock of Mogadishu;” I might say… “hold on a second… just wait one minute!

“I like Mohammad Omar and Mohammad Akbar in the morning, those dudes are hilarious!  They have such a clever spin on the chronic food shortages and extreme corruption of the.. our government!”

It got me thinking, the Canadian government should commission a new bread of fighting troop.  The first Canadian Armoured Broadcast Division.  We’d find an old WWI era dreadnought, refit it in dry-dock in Esquimalt.  Christen her, HMCS Rock & Roll and set sail from CFB Esquamlt.  Destination: Indian Ocean.

Instead of fighting the pirates, we BE pirates.  We’d broadcast a pirate rock and roll radio station off the coast and free the minds of the people of Somalia using the power of sound.

Instead of broadcasting animal sounds… we could put Pearl Jam’s Vs. on and spin “Animal.”  Then say, “hey Hezbol-Islam, come get some.”

Aye, Ready Aye!

***

Jokes aside, it does demonstrate how much freedom totally rules and how… because of a cosmic roll of the dice; if you were born inside different borders your life would be mighty different (and no Pearl Jam?  Is that even a life?).

I got a message from someone in the Canadian Forces who said that the Frigates and Destroyers do have the ability to broadcast radio signals and that they do blast forth some rock & roll when they are patrolling for pirates off the coast.  Rock not Bombs right…

There are two radio station in Mogadishu still playing music, a UN station and an official Somali government run station.  They are the only two located in a small enclave of the city not completely over run with chaos.  God speed to those two stations.  I do wonder if there is a direct way to support freedom of media and art around the world?  the only idea I have is to stick an FM transmitter on a battleship, but that idea seems way to colonial and thus, counter to the spirit of freedom.

Go with yourself.

Posted in music, politics, radio | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »